Sunday, March 6, 2005

The following reviews were done on a whim in early 2005. I obviously hadn't committed to a routine or level of quality yet in my writing, but here they are anyway...

12 Angry Men (1957) - Quite a good movie. They made a remake in 1997 with Jack Lemmon and Tony Danza. To be honest I can't decide which version I like better. Both are so similar that it makes for a tough choice. I would recommend both versions to anyone who's interested.

Magnolia - I rented this on a whim as I had a two for one coupon for Blockbuster and planned to get both versions of 12 Angry Men. However they only had the original and I'd never seen this so I figured "what the hey?" All in all I found the movie (although long) to be very interesting. My only problem with the movie was the ending which I'm not going to give away here. A warning though to viewers who have yet to see this movie: get ready to suspend your disbelief.

L.A. Confidential - If you haven't seen this movie, you really must. Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce are amazing in their scenes together in this movie. This movie is packed with great actors though such as Danny DeVito, Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, and James Cromwell. All I can say is that having just seen this for the first time last year I can't believe it took me so long to see it. Great movie.

Identity - The first time I saw this movie was right after it was released on dvd. I rented it and liked it so much that I went out and bought it. This is the first time I've seen it since then and I must say that it wasn't as good as I remembered it. I have a feeling this was due to the fact that I already knew the surprise ending.

Boogie Nights - After watching Magnolia I was discussing it with one of the fellas I live with here in New Jersey (by the name of Scott Ewen) who didn't like it. It was during this conversation that he told me that of all of P.T. Andersons movies that he'd seen, this is the only one he found at all interesting. I too found it to be quite good. Especially during the scene where Heather Graham gets nekkid. Aside from that though the movie gives an interesting behind the scenes look at the adult film industry. All in all I think I liked Magnolia better though...except for that ending...

Apt Pupil - I've wanted to see this for a long time and it only barely got beaten out by Magnolia last time I went to Blockbuster to rent something. It was well worth my money though as it is incredibly acted and directed. Director Bryan Singer and actor Ian Mckellan especially left an impact on me. Highly recommended.

Pleasantville - I've seen this movie a number of times but just bought it because it was on sale for $9.99. This movie is all around great but I especially think that William H. Macys acting in the court scene in the end is incredibly moving. If nothing else this movie delivers amazing visuals as colors begin to enter a black and white world. This movie comes very, very highly recommended from me.